Michael Knutson joined the faculty of Garden City Community College in 2015 after serving as Art Adjunct Instructor at Fort Hays State University. He was the son of two art educators and spent his childhood immersed in creativity drawing inspiration from his experiences in the natural environment of the Black Hills of South Dakota. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Black Hills State University in 2010. In 2013 Michael completed his MFA at Fort Hays State University. He is an accomplished visual artist and works primarily as a painter. Michael has an active national exhibition record of solo and group shows and has completed many public art commissions for intuitions such as The Sternberg Museum of Natural History. The basis for Michaels's work is a deep connection to the immediate environment, life experiences, and the way the mind interprets this information. He works both in the studio and in the landscape in this manner allowing him to explore a wide range of physical and emotional experiences. Michael encourages exploration, searching for cinematic scenes with a strong sense of impending drama.